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Q&A: Blue Earth's Carter Hanson Attends Gophers Game

10/29/2012, 9:30pm CDT

By Chris Monter

Carter Hanson, a 5-foot-10, 180-pound senior from Blue Earth Area, has helped lead the Buccaneers to a 9-0 start and a #3 ranking in Class AAA.

Carter Hanson, a 5-foot-10, 180-pound senior from Blue Earth Area, has helped lead the Buccaneers to a 9-0 start and a #3 ranking in Class AAA. They will face Tri-City United Friday in the Section 3 playoffs. Hanson is friends with current Minnesota redshirt freshman Jonah Pirsig and attend the Golden Gopher season opener versus New Hampshire. GopherHole.com recently caught up with the team captain about his
senior season and recruitment.
Hanson has been named to the All-South Central Conference and Fairmont Sentinel All-Area football teams the past two seasons and was selected as an all-state honorable mention selection last year.
The running back/linebacker helped the Bucs to their fourth state tournament appearance, the school’s first since 2006, with a 28-0 victory over Luverne in the Section 3AA championship game. They fell 35-14 to Waterville-Elysian-Morristown in the first round, missing their goal of making it to the Metrodome by one game
Hanson has wrestled for Blue Earth since he was a seventh grader and has qualified for the state tournament in wrestling since his freshman year at the 152- and 160-pound weight classes. Hanson has more than 125 individual wins in his career.
Hanson is an All-SCC and All-Area catcher who has played for the Bucs' baseball team since his freshman year. Gopher Hole: How pleased are you with how well the team is playing so far this season?
Carter Hanson: We are playing pretty good. We had a good win the first week against USC and came out strong. The second week, we played a tougher team and came out strong again. I am really proud of our guys. Gopher Hole: Your team is not as big with the loss of (big lineman) Jonah Pirsig and Sam Lee. How has that changed your team and what have you had to do differently this year?
Carter Hanson: Yes, that is for sure. We had a whole new line come in and that was kind of our big thing that we were working on. Getting them acclimated and working together and doing what they have to do. They have made us lean more towards passing than running this year, obviously, but we had over 300 yards rushing (against St. Paul Highland Park). That was a big step for our new O-line and I thought that it was
a good step. Gopher Hole: What positions are you playing this year?
Carter Hanson: I play middle linebacker and running back. Gopher Hole: Which do you, prefer the hitting or the running?
Carter Hanson: I like defense. I like hitting people. Gopher Hole: What are you hearing from Minnesota?
Carter Hanson: They contacted me to visit for the game. Gopher Hole: Are you close to Jonah?
Carter Hanson: Yes. Me and Jonah were pretty dang good friends and we hung out just about every day. My junior year last year, the seniors, Jonah and Sam and others were really close with me and that was one of the reasons I think that we were so successful because of how close we
were. Gopher Hole: Would you like to play at a high level or at a lower level where you would maybe play more? Have you thought that far yet?
Carter Hanson: I thought about it a little bit. I have to take that into consideration when choosing where I want to go, but it is definitely a factor. Gopher Hole: Have you thought much about a possible college major?
Carter Hanson: I think that I might want to major in pharmacy and be a pharmacist like my Grandpa. Gopher Hole: Have you taken the ACT or SAT yet?
Carter Hanson: I took the ACT. I got a 25. Gopher Hole: What things have you been working on to continue to improve yourself as a football player?
Carter Hanson: The big thing for me is speed and size. That is something to work on for everybody and just getting my reads down. Gopher Hole: What position would you probably play in college, probably defensive back?
Carter Hanson: Yes. I was talking to my coaches a little and they think that I might need to make a transition at a high level to a safety or something along those lines. Gopher Hole: Would that be something that would appeal to you since a middle linebacker is a hitter and a safety also has to hit?
Carter Hanson: Yes. Like I said, I like to hit people, so I think a strong safety would suit me well. Gopher Hole: What do you see as your strengths as a player?
Carter Hanson: I would say that I am a pretty smart player. I can read the ball pretty well, the flow and just attack the ball.